The Netherlands secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over Sweden in extra time, earning a place in the Women’s World Cup final against the United States. The match, held in Lyon, saw midfielder Jackie Groenen score the decisive goal in the 99th minute, sending the Dutch into their first-ever World Cup final.
Groenen, a former judo European Championship bronze medallist, broke the deadlock with a low shot from 20 yards after receiving a pass deflected by Swedish defender Linda Sembrant. Her strike beat Swedish goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl and found the far corner of the net, sealing the victory for the European champions.
The win continued the Netherlands’ remarkable run, having already knocked out Japan and Italy in the previous rounds. Now, just one game away from lifting their first World Cup, the Dutch will face a daunting challenge against the USA, the defending champions, who defeated England 2-1 in their semi-final.
Sweden, who had earlier ended a long-standing rivalry against Germany in the quarter-finals, started as the better team, but Dutch goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal kept them at bay with several crucial saves, including a fingertip stop that pushed Nilla Fischer’s shot onto the post in the second half.
The Swedish side also had chances, with Lindahl pulling off an acrobatic save to deny Vivianne Miedema’s powerful header. However, it was Groenen’s extra-time goal that proved decisive, leaving Sweden to compete for third place against England in Nice on Saturday.
The Netherlands will now prepare for their showdown with the USA, aiming to add the World Cup trophy to their 2017 Euro title.
